It's 2026, why even bother writing a blog?
Post last updated 2 months, 1 week ago
The short answer is
I always wanted to. To have a stable-ish place on the internet where I could yap about whatever. I've tried starting a blog several times over the (past ~151) years, but I now think I have a somewhat decent vocabulary, some resemblance of coherent thoughts and ideas, and I'm decently read and informed2. And because I want to.
The slightly longer answer is
That the internet has become increasingly toxic. Facebook was nice when you connected with relatives and long-distance friends; now it is a cesspool of bots, idiots, and propaganda. Instagram was nice when you posted silly pictures of you and your friends; now it is a cesspool of rage bait and fake(ly) rich people. Reddit was nice when it was like an extended forum where you could find good information and relatively human conversations (and when you could use third-party apps); now it is a cesspool of bots, idiots, and propaganda. YouTube is still somewhat useful if you ignore the shorts and keep your feed curated, and TikTok somehow never clicked for me.
And everything is filled with ads, broken UIs, and AI EVERYWHERE.
Being from Romania, I still got to experience forums and the small/indie web until relatively late, as the trends from the US would come to us with a delay of a few years. At that moment I didn't think of what was to come, but looking back now, it was a pleasure hanging out in small communities, and even if not all agreed with everyone else, we would still follow the rules (most of us anyway). Now every discussion on the internet is like talking to walls; no one is ever willing to listen or admit they were in the wrong. Plus the insane amount of bots. You think you're telling Steve reasons why the US is becoming fascist? You're actually "talking" with R2D2, a bot from a bot farm in Russia or China built specifically to make you think it's pointless to even try.
Since I've re-engaged with the small web, in many parts thanks to Kagi Smallweb, I've found joy again in reading longer stuff only and actually trying to understand and empathize with other people's points of view. For example, a few weeks ago I was reading to what great lengths someone goes to avoid getting COVID (again?). I don't particularly resonate with their approach, but it was interesting to read the whys and hows.
Also, it's nice when you see someone you're reading mentioned on a blog you just stumbled upon, sort of like when you are abroad and find out the people next door know someone from your city.